DAZ 3 has released Bryce 7, a brand new version of its 3D environment tool. It's available in standard, Pro and Personal Learning Edition (PLE) versions.

Bryce 7 PLE is freely availale, and incorporating all features of the standard version of Bryce 7 -- but can only be used for non-commercial projects.

Bryce 7 gains the ability to incorporate 3D models made in Google SketchUp or Electronic Arts' Spore Creature Creator into their pipeline. This direct import option, created specifically for Bryce 7 workflows, streamlines integration and eliminates cumbersome tweaking, utilizing new import and export options for both the Collada and FBX file formats, according to Daz. Bryce users can now also export their amazing environments for use in a variety of other tools and 3D applications.

The DAZ Studio Bridge within the Bryce pipeline has been re-designed to transfer models from DAZ Studio 3, into Bryce 7 with less overhead and greater ease. Even complex layered 3D figures and accessories now seamlessly import into Bryce 7.

Bryce 7 Pro gains the new Instancing Lab. Allowing users to copy individual objects or user-defined object sets, the Instancing Lab makes it possible to create larger, more realistic scenes than ever before. Controls for distribution, orientation, density and divergence allow for extremely realistic results and instancing is now handled through a brush that includes controls for scale, rotation, random seed and proportion.

Bryce 7 Pro also offers new light types, including Distant, Parallel, Cluster, Dome and a series of 3D fill lights. Additional controls for True Ambience and shadows have also been added. Data Exchange has been updated with the addition of both import and export of the COLLADA and FBX file formats.